The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has requested a provisional release of Greenpeace’s Dutch registered ship the Artic Sunrise and its crew for a bond of €3.6 million ($5 million). Moscow says the issue is beyond the tribunal’s competency.

The bond is to be paid by the Netherlands. The tribunal in its
Friday ruling also ordered Russia to allow
the Arctic Sunrise and the 30 activists to leave the country.

“The Russian Federation shall immediately release the vessel
Arctic Sunrise and all persons who have been detained upon the
posting of a bond or other financial security by the
Netherlands,” the document read.

Russia, who refused to attend hearings in Hamburg, responded the
case doesn’t fall within the jurisdiction of the International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

“The Russian side hasn’t participated in the proceedings,
because it doesn’t consider this situation as an argument between
the Netherlands and Russia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry
said in a statement adding that Russia had acted “within its
own economic zone.”

Moscow also said that there was a clause in the 1982 convention
which allows Russia to ignore the findings of the tribunal if
arguments concerns Russia’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction.
The ministry maintained that the activists were breaking Russian
laws and put the safety of the rig in jeopardy.

“Russia’s response to the Arctic Sunrise vessel and its crew
were provoked by unlawful actions committed by the people onboard
the ship, who grossly violated Russian and international norms,
in particular, marine safety, the safety and regime of
Prirazlomnaya oil rig,” the ministry said.

However, the Foreign Ministry did say it would “study the
International Tribunal’s decision”.

Thirty people aboard the Arctic Sunrise including two journalists
were detained after a protest near a Gazprom owned oil rig on
September 18 in the Pechora Sea. 29 of them have already been
granted on bail, but they will not be allowed to leave Russia.
Greenpeace says it will cater for the activists while the
proceedings in Russia continue.

The Arctic Thirty as they have become known were initially
charged with piracy, which can carry a 15-year maximum sentence,
but in October, Russia reduced the charges to hooliganism, which
carries a maximum jail term of seven years.

The Netherlands launched the legal action at the Tribunal in
October. The Hamburg tribunal is an independent international
judicial body which adjudicates in disputes over the
interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of
the Sea.